NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has informed Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson that all NATO countries have approved Sweden’s accession protocol. They have thus invited Sweden to join NATO, Kristersson writes on X. Membership will be formally official as soon as all papers are signed and archived. Hungary submitted its approval of Sweden’s application earlier today. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre tells news that this is a historic event for the “brotherly people”. – I am happy that this is happening today. It feels historic, correct and safe that Sweden is in NATO, he says to news. Støre says that Sweden’s membership will strengthen security in the north. Støre told this during a press conference in Alta during the NATO exercise Nordic Response. Finland’s new president, Alexander Stubb, was with Jonas Gahr Støre as a guest in Alta, during the NATO exercise Nordic Response. Photo: Jonas Løken Estenstad / news The White House confirms Swedish NATO membership Hungary’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO application has been handed over to the US State Department, Sweden’s government says. – We will make a formal decision to become a member of NATO on Thursday, says a statement from the government. The White House confirmed earlier on Thursday that Sweden will officially become a member of NATO within hours. – Sweden will formally join NATO on 7 March 2024 and become the alliance’s 32nd member, writes the White House on its website. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Foreign Minister Tobias Billström are in Washington to be able to deliver the Swedish accession documents to NATO, which for formal reasons are archived in the USA. Met the German Defense Minister On Thursday, Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) also visited the NATO exercise Nordic Response, which takes place in northern Norway. During a meeting with the soldiers in Alta, he revealed that the upcoming long-term plan for the Armed Forces is “just around the corner”, but he would not make any promises about how much money will be in the pot. Not even if the defense chief gets his wish fulfilled. – We have to strengthen our defense and a lot has already been done, but we have to do even more. The price of insurance is rising even more and we have to spend even more of our resources on research and safety, says Gram. He would not go into the long-term plan during the press conference. – We hope to present it within a relatively short time, but we want to increase our defense budget considerably and that must already be done next year. NOK 8 billion Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen believes it is urgent to strengthen the Norwegian Armed Forces. Kristoffersen says that it will be necessary to spend around NOK 8 billion more than what is included in the current long-term plan for the Norwegian Armed Forces. And by that he means NOK 8 billion extra every year from and including 2025 to 2031. That is roughly twice as much as the government has initially said will be needed until 2026 to reach the NATO goal of spending 2 percent of the gross domestic product for defense purposes. Kristoffersen recommends strengthening the ability for better intelligence throughout the Norwegian Armed Forces, investing in new helicopters, increasing the number of submarines, creating a mobilizable brigade and strengthening the air warning chain. Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen has previously given concrete recommendations on how the Armed Forces can be developed in the future. – We must increase the defense budget, says Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp). Photo: Matheo Dolva / news Thousands of soldiers With him to Alta on Thursday, Gram brought the German Minister of Defense Boris Ludwig Pistorius with him. Among other things, the two ministers held a press briefing and met soldiers participating in the exercise. Nordic Response has its center of gravity in northern Norway, Sweden and Finland as well as in associated airspace and sea areas. There is particularly great activity at sea with over 50 registered submarines, frigates, corvettes, aircraft carriers and various amphibious vessels. Over 100 combat aircraft, transport aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft and allied CH43 Super Stallion, Merlin, Cobra and Osprey participate in the air. On the ground, thousands of soldiers defend and protect Nordic territory with various artillery systems, tanks, tracked vehicles and other land craft. There will be many military vehicles on the roads due to the exercise. It is recommended that travelers allow a little extra time. A column consists of four to twelve military vehicles. The columns will be marked, and vehicles with wide loads will have a follow-up car and additional marking. A military vehicle convoy must not be obstructed or disturbed.
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The Minister of Defense will not promise that the Chief of Defense will get his wish for NOK 8 billion fulfilled – news Troms and Finnmark
